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About this project

GOOD DAY EVERYONE...

And tusind tak (that's a thousand thanks in Danish!) for having a look at our first Kickstarter project!

We are Copenhagen Parts – a small Copenhagen-based brand and spin-off of the award-winning design firm, Goodmorning Technology. We launched a few years back with one simple goal: to design and produce sleek, original, and innovative bicycle accessories to meet the demands of today’s urban cyclists.

Our inspiration comes from our surroundings, and considering that Copenhagen has a world-renowned bike culture and is also famous for its simple, beautiful design, we decided to combine the two – not an entirely easy task but, as our experience has shown, definitely worthwhile.

Two years ago, we produced our first product, the Bike Porter, with the goal of offering a new and sexy way to carry ‘stuff’ on the front of a city bike. The integrated handlebar/rack accomplished this brilliantly and we are proud to have a fantastic network of dealers around the world carrying the Bike Porter.

From there it was back to the drawing board – but rather than hurrying into the next project, we thought long and hard about the next addition to our portfolio. And again, inspiration on the streets around us brought on another ‘brilliant’ idea…

In Copenhagen, we ride all year round – through snow, rain, winter, and darkness; you could say we’ve learned to deal with cycling about in dreary weather. In the winter, we have stretches where the light only peeks up but a few hours before falling quickly behind the southern horizon. And the only way to keep cycling in the dark is with the help of a trusty set of bike lights.

Problem was – none of them looked like something we’d be happy to affix to our beloved bikes. And what was even worse – many of them didn’t work well. Too big, too retro, too cheap, not bright enough, too easily stolen, too expensive – the list went on.

And then came the ‘enlightenment’ and the vow to fix the problem with something…

COOL & CONVENIENT.

It’s an all too common design problem: how do we make something that looks nice and still works as it should? Well, in our case, we kept it simple – but dedicated a long time, nearly 18 months, to refining the product to a point that we were all completed satisfied with the end result.

By combining magnets and LEDs we have created a bike light that looks good, works well and can be fitted and removed instantly – ‘cool and convenient’ you might say.

Magnets and steel tubes were an obvious match. But to get it just right we’ve spent countless hours selecting the right components and perfecting the details so that the lights will fit to different frames and stay put. The prototypes have been tested for several months so as to make sure that they:

Are easy to fit anywhere on the frame

Have the right angle to optimize visibility to other road-users

Stay put; regardless of the road surface

And now, we’re excited to say that this bright idea is almost ready to hit the streets!

“As we’ve said before, the best ideas are often the ones that make you raise your eyebrows, slap your forehead and shout: ‘why didn’t I think of that!’ - in a perplexed, high-pitched voice. Case in point are these delectably simple, aesthetically pleasing magnetic lights from Copenhagen Parts” – aiaiai.dk

“Exceedingly clever, this little light source attaches to just about anywhere on a steel frame, turning on contact, and off when removed” –mocoloco.com

“These small LED bike lights from Copenhagen Parts are the cleanest bike light design I’ve seen…We love the clean design aesthetic, and the idea that these lights will never accidentally turn on in our pocket or bags” –bermstyle.com

In addition to the fantastic press attention, we were simultaneously flooded with emails from around the world and people wanting to know when we’d have these available. This reaffirmed our belief in the project and pushed us to wrap up the development phase and move on to production.

However, as you may well know, the capital required to start production – considering we need a minimum volume in order to keep the end cost down – is quite substantial. And, so, that’s why we are calling on you to help…

KICKSTART US INTO THE NEXT PHASE!

Nearly 18 months after we had the bright idea to create our bike lights, and now the time has come to shine a light on the world – and what better place to start than with the Kickstarter community. We are so pleased to be able to communicate, interact, and demonstrate our passion with such an innovative and inspiring bunch. We truly believe in the emerging power of community to bring ideas to life and challenge convention.

By following our campaign, learning more about us, and hopefully finding our ideas exciting enough to back them with a pledge, you will help us to materialize all of our hard work – and get something really cool for yourself in return!

In a very general sense your pledge money will help us to turn our prototypes into a sellable product, but here are some specific areas that we plan to use the Kickstarter funds:

Final product testing

Tooling and other factory and production start-up costs

Minimum Order Quantities – in order to keep one of our objectives (reasonable pricing) we need to have production runs with large quantities

Development trips to manage and oversee production with our partners

When it's all said and done, a successful Kickstarter campaign will move us expeditiously through the production process so that we can get you your rewards in time for the dark winter days.

That said, and on a final note, we truly appreciate folks, like you, around the world who support our vision and help us make our little dream a big success. And for that we say...

Throughout the development phase we, along with a host of other professionals, trusted friends, and more recently, critical onlookers from the outside have asked fantastic questions that have helped us immensely in creating and finalizing a product that works as good as it looks.

Considering these questions might well be similar to the ones you, yourselves, have pondered, we offer them here for you. But if there is still something you don't understand or would like to know a bit more about, please just let us know and we'd be happy to clarify!

So, without further ado – a few questions we've fielded...

Will there be a flash mode on the lights?

Our prototypes did not have a flash mode, but starting with the Kickstarter pre-orders, we are planning to have both steady and flash modes on the lights that can be activated by simply pressing the rubber moulding on the back of the light.

How strong will the lights be?

If we go ahead our plan to use 4 LEDs, then the output will be 60,000 millicandelas or 60 lumens - superbright, or as we like to say, brilliant! However, since keeping the lights affordable is of the utmost importance to us, and considering we don't yet have final production costs, there is a possibility that we will use 2 LEDs in which case the output would be half that - though 30 lumens is still a bright little light!

What if I have an aluminum/carbon frame?

We are actively working on a solution to this issue and are hard at work developing a simple accessory to conquer it. At the moment, the idea is to use a small piece of stainless steel that can be attached to a non-steel frame with a simple, yet durable adhesive. Stay tuned...

Why do I have to pay shipping if I live in Denmark?

Yes, our office and home base is in Copenhagen, but we are a product design firm and don''t actually have a direct hand in the distribution of the products - I think you'll all be glad that is the case :-) That being said, all Kickstarter pre-orders, in a roundabout way, originate in the US. From there, they will either be handled by our North American distributor or moved to our European distributor - whose job it is to clear the goods for sale in Europe and to ship them to the final customers. This all costs additional money which is why anyone except US backers need to pay for shipping. Thanks for the understanding in this matter.

Are the lights more than just good-looking?

You bet! The MAGNETIC Bike Lights are extremely compact. The lens is designed to illuminate from the
sides as well as straight-on to increase visibility. The fact that they can be
placed anywhere on the frame without fittings also makes it possible to use multiple
sets to further aid visibility to other road users.

Are they easy to use?

Absolutely. When placing your MAGNETIC Bike Lights on your steel frame they turn on automatically and you are ready to go. Arriving at your destination, just take them off and the light turns off automatically. This also ensures that the lights do not accidentally use up the batteries while rattling around your pocket or bag. No fuss and no light-thieves to worry about.

What
will the retail cost be?

Approximately $40 (USD), but quite a bit cheaper for all you cool, Kickstarter cats!

Can I change the batteries myself?

Yup. The MAGNETIC Bike Lights use battery-driven LED light sources and only standard-sized batteries.

What size are the MAGNETIC Bike Lights?

The lights are about the size of a ping pong ball and can easily be fitted in your pocket when not in use on the bike.

Do the lights use ordinary magnets?

The lights use “super-magnets”. These are based on rare-earth materials and generate a much stronger magnetic attraction than conventional magnets.

Are you sure that the lights will stay on my bike when riding on a rough surface?

Yes. We have tested the magnets to their limits – and the lights stay put!

Will the lights scratch my frame?

Nope! The back of the light has a specially-formulated rubber molding. This helps the lights hold firmly to the frame without slipping and protects against scratching.

When will the first production and Kickstarter pre-orders be available?

With the help from you and Kickstarter, we plan to have the MAGNETIC Bike Lights available this winter!

FAQ

Rewards

Pledge $1 or more

A hearty dose of street cred for helping us shine a light on cyclists around the world.

Estimated delivery:Sep 2012

You selected

Pledge $10 or more

18 backers

We'll put our thanks in writing! Your name will be printed on a poster accompanying shipments to bike shops around the country.

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $30 or more

250 backers
All gone!

THE EARLIEST BIRD SPECIAL!
For helping us set the wheels in motion you'll get a set of bike lights for well below the expected retail price. Call it "bike lane robbery" – we just call it cool... (*Includes shipping to anywhere in the US; Add $10 to Canada and $15 for other international orders.)

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $31 or more

75 backers
All gone!

THE WEEKEND SPECIAL! Today's been a busy day and we're feeling grateful and generous :-) If the pace of pledging keeps up our 'Earliest Bird Special' will sell out soon, so we're adding a 'Weekend Special' pledge level so that all of you getting to the party a tad late can still catch a happy hour deal on a set of our lights. We'll close this one off at midnight Pacific time on Saturday, so get at at it – and have drink on us!

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $35 or more

500 backers
All gone!

THE STILL EARLY (BUT NOT EARLIEST) BIRD SPECIAL: You still get a hefty savings on one set of bike lights for standing by us from the start, plus the added benefit of being among the earliest and brightest bikers on the block!
(*Includes shipping to anywhere in the US; Add $10 to Canada and $15 for other international orders.)

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $40 or more

100 backers
All gone!

LIMITED EDITION...
You'll get something a little extra – a limited edition set of numbered lights, further solidifying your standing as the coolest cat on the block.
(*Includes shipping to anywhere in the US; Add $10 to Canada and $15 for other international orders.)

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $40 or more

185 backers

Better late than never! You get one set of bike lights with free shipping to anywhere in the US – still a solid savings and still gets you the lights before most of your friends have them...
(*Add $10 for shipping to Canada and $15 for other international orders.)

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $65 or more

330 backers

You'll get two sets of lights – one for you and one for your lover/brother/mother...
(*Includes shipping to anywhere in the US; Add $10 to Canada and $20 for other international orders.)

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $150 or more

24 backers

Brighten up your whole crew – or at least have a set for each and every steel horse in the stable – with 5 sets of lights. Crazy savings, crazy cool...
(*Includes shipping to anywhere in the US; Add $15 to Canada and $20 for other international orders.)

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

You selected

Pledge $250 or more

15 backers

Enlightenment! Now isn't that the ultimate goal? You get 10 sets of bike lights for your shop plus one retail display stand plus free shipping to US locations!
(*Add $20 for shipping to Canada and $25 for other international shipments.)

Estimated delivery:Dec 2012

Funding period

Aug 22, 2012 - Sep 21, 2012
(30 days)

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